Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)

Warning don't read unless seen film.Another one of the things I love about Halloween are the TV episodes and specials. To me this is a big part of the holiday tradition because they were a big part of my life, I seen these before Halloween hit, watch them before and after I trick or treat, and even now I still watch some of them as I now hand over treats, this special is one of them.This special is one of my favorite Halloween TV specials/episodes number 9 on the list. This is also a childhood relic of mine, this special is what helped me get into the comic strip series "Garfield" which I didn't know about at the time; though it was also the franchises very first foray into the visual medium they didn't have the series until 4 years later.The animation is great true to the original comic strip which is fine with me I don't want it any other way. The music I think is solid, the songs I wouldn't say are the most memorable in my book, but I enjoyed them their fun songs and fit the nature of the special. One I thought was funny was the "Scaredy Cat" song where Garfield is singing and once he uncovers a person in a costume we then see it's an actual monster, then Garfield and Odie run a circle around him and run off, that I always found as a kid funny and maybe a little scary at the time since I honestly didn't expect it. Though as an adult I now it always cracks me up, just the fact that monsters are also going trick or treating, I guess even their hungry want candy.There really isn't much to the story as it's just a simple adventure of Garfield and Odie questing for candy. It's just funny seeing Garfield simply being Garfield as he just craves candy and wants to get as much as he wants to fill his black hole of a stomach. And like in any Garfield comic strip the humor is clever and funny as usual, there are plenty of memorable line and humorous moments. The first half is simply made of scenes from some usual banter between both Jon and Garfield, one funny scene is seeing Garfield put on the pirate persona and actually pillage a piece or two of Jon's lasagna, poor Jon can never seem to finish a meal hopefully he has more lasagna for himself somewhere. It then comes down to the trick or treating which leads to the last half when the whole special once again takes a rather unexpected turn. Garfield gets just a bit greedy and decides to go to one last house on an island. I know Garfield's made bad judgement calls before, but this is probably takes the cake or should I say the candy, when they venture into a house that looks like Norman Bates pad. And of course, we have that creepy old man that looks like someone from the "Creepy" horror comic series and he is telling a story of ghost pirates coming to reclaim their lost treasure. That story I'll admit gave me a chill inside and it gets chilly once we see the ghosts. The pirate ghosts I still find creepy, the way their animated, color, and how they move is just well done, I remember as a kid this sequence scarred me I kind covered my eyes with the pillow. It also made me worried for both Garfield and Odie hoping both will get out. And that escape sequence was exciting I remember on the edge of my seat thinking c'mon get out of there, I even literally pounded my feet just running with both hoping they'll get far enough away. Yeah, this sequence of the film was scary but kind of fun at the same time as there is relief in the end, which is the common feeling we all have after trick or treating or going to a Halloween Party it was a fun ride but were glad it's over.Garfield's Halloween Adventure is a real treat.Rating: 4 stars

Early morning of October 31, Garfield receives a very rude awakening by the Binky the Clown show, trying to get the viewers to do exercises, lest they become lazy and meaningless. However, some good news does come out of that cacophonous clown as mentions trick or treating, which instantly gets Garfield excited about the bag full of candy he'll no doubt acquire that night. He even decides to bring Odie along so he'll get twice as much candy, and he might even share a piece with him. So now it was up to the attic to find a proper costume among the sea of junk Jon had never thrown away. After a song and dance of what he should be, Garfield comes across the perfect costumes for he and his canine companion: pirates. Garfield is Orange Beard and Odie is his first mate, Odie the Stupid. So after Orange Beard scarfs down Jon's lasagna, they hit the streets in search of treats... as well as a few tricks, as some of the trick or treaters turn out to be real ghouls, ghosts and monsters. Well, I guess they like candy too. So Garfield and Odie get quite a haul, but the greedy cat decides he wants more. Pointing to some houses across the river, he suggests they go over there and get even more candy. They board an old row boat and head down stream. They venture off course because Odie the Stupid threw the oars overboard. Eventually they reach land ho. A spooky old house with cool lightning effects. They investigate and find a fire in the fireplace, so they go inside to warm themselves when suddenly, they come across a scary looking old man who warns them of an inherent danger that would befall them all. It seems 100 years ago that night a group of real pirates were forced to bury their treasure on that very island, and they swore that they would return in 100 years to reclaim it, even if it meant coming back from the dead, at the stroke of midnight. Feeling they've heard quite enough, Garfield and Odie attempt to leave, when suddenly they find the old man had gone. Looking outside, they see him row away in their rowboat. Now they were stuck with no boat, no candy, dead pirates on the way...unless... when 12 o'clock struck and no ghosts showed up, they assumed they were safe. That's when the gleaming ghost ship arrived and the pirate ghosts came ashore. Garfield and Odie are discovered and the ghosts give chase. Their only option was to swim for it, but unfortunately, Garfield found out too late that he couldn't swim. Thankfully Odie managed to drag him all the way back to shore where, as luck would have it, the row boat with their bags of candy stood waiting. They return home in triumph, glad the night of chaos was finally over, and to show his appreciation, Garfield reluctantly allows Odie to keep his bag of candy. Then he relaxes by the TV, but when he finds out the only thing on are pirate flicks, he decides to hit the hay.If you're a fan of classic Garfield cartoons, this is definitely one to see. Perfect to watch around the Halloween season. This was 3 years before Garfield & Friends premiered, which was a brilliant staple of Saturday mornings for years to come. The animation is standard, and pretty good for it's time, especially the look of the old man, whose voice really fit him. In fact, all the voice acting was great. The story was fun, the songs were catchy. Kids and adults will definitely enjoy this spooky little romp.

This is one of the best children's Halloween specials you could hope to watch. It is somewhat obscure and often forgotten about but it deserves all the recognition that the famous Christmas specials get. The dead leaves and dark night set the autumn mood while Garfield and Odie go out candy collecting but get into a spooky adventure along the way. I won't spoil the show but it involves a haunted house, classic Halloween fare all around.There are a few memorable songs, good animation, classic Garfield humor, and a nice spooky Halloween setting. This is a perfect choice to show to children around October, it might even become a yearly tradition.

Jim Davis counted getting Garfield on TV as a highlight of his career; surely he must also have been pleased when the fat cat became part of Halloween tradition. Garfield in Disguise (or Garfield's Halloween Adventure) was a TV special that could be watched every year.In it, Garfield brings Odie along for trick-or-treating, collecting large amounts of beloved candy while dressed as pirates. Then they stumble upon an old house, where an old man warns them real pirate ghosts are coming.Occasionally the jokes and songs are cheesy- for example, the song over the opening credits. A couple of times when Garfield is scared, he is curiously slow to react. Still, this special has some pretty good moments. When they're out trick-or-treating they discover real monsters and a ghost are out with them, which is fun and foreshadows the supernatural plot twist to come. The old man is creepy and the pirate ghosts are fun. Odie's sneeze, and Garfield and Odie's grins, are a funny moment. Note that the book version of this special has an added ghost scene at the end, which unfortunately doesn't appear here. Still, Garfield in Disguise is a Halloween treat.